Horse s harness



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN ROUSE, OF PORT GIBSON, NEW YORK.

HORSE S HARNESS.

Specification of Letters Patent No.. 25,587, dated September 27, 1859.

To all 'whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN HOUSE, of Port Gibson, in the county of Ontario and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Horses Harness; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings and to the letters of reference marked thereon.

The nature of my invention consists in dividing the haine strap, used in double-harness which connects the collar of the horse to the yoke placed upon the end of the tongue of the vehicle, to enable the horses to back or to hold back the vehicle, into two sections in the direction of its length and connecting the outer end of each section to the eye of a double-eyed hook which is placed over and upon the ring at the end of the yoke and which serves to keep the yoke, and the tongue, to which it is attached, steadily in position and prevents the tongues swaying or vibrating from side to side, when the vehicle is in motion.

Figure l, in the accompanying drawings, is a perspective view of the front end of the pole or tongue of a vehicle, with its attached yoke, showing the `ends of the hame straps attached to the double-eyed hook, placed in the ring at the end of the yoke. F ig. 2, is a similar view of the hook detached, of full working size.

A, is the front end of a tongue or pole, of ordinary form and construction, to which the yoke B, is attached by a ring which allows it to be attached and detached when required. To each end of the yoke is secured a ring C, through which, in the harness of ordinary construction, the hame strap, connected with the collar hame, are inserted, for the purpose of enablingthe horses to back, or to hold back the vehicle, when necessary. It is apparent that a strap run through this ring will allow the pole or tongue to vibrate sidewise, by the ring slipping over the strap, when one of the front wheels of the vehicle meets with an impediment or obstruction, to retard its progress, allowing it to strike the horses and make them uneasy and restive, and being liable to injure them when the blow given them by it is a heavy one, as is frequently the case. The constant slipping of the ring over the strap soon causes the strap to wear out, or to wear so that its strength is greatly decreased so that it is liable to break, when a strain is brought upon it and when its use is most important. These defects and objections I overcome and remedy by the use of the double-eyed hook D, which is connected to the collar haines by the hame straps E, E', one end of each strap being attached to the haines and the other to one of the eyes of the hook, and which is placed upon `the ring in the end of the yoke so as to retain the ring in the fork of the hook. This not only preserves the haine strap from wear, but also holds the yoke and tongue firmly in position and prevents the injurious vibration of the tongue before noticed.

That I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

The double-eyed hook D, arranged, as described, in the yoke ring O, so as not to be withdrawn therefrom, in combination with said ring and with the divided hame straps E, E', which are respectively secured to the opposite eyes of the hook, for the purposes herein specified.

JOHN ROUSE.

1Witnesses ORNoN ARCHER, CHARLES M. ADAMS. 

